Police said patrol officers were sent to the motel on an emergency call about a man acting strange. A woman who was working as a clerk said the man appeared at the motel front door and said he needed help. He had wet hair and huge eyes, she told police. The man wouldn't leave or enter the motel. The clerk called 911.

When Houston Fire Department paramedics arrived, the man refused their help, Officers tried to detain him but he fought them. The officers used a Taser to subdue the man, police said.

He struggled against paramedics as they placed him on a gurney.

As is customary with in-custody deaths, the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs divisions will investigate the case.